Instagram is one of the most popular social media apps and it has continued to gain popularity since it introduced Instagram Stories. Stories are a great way for brands to get creative and interact with customers in a relatable and engaging way! At first, brands were slow to adopt this new feature since rather than a post that stays on your profile forever, Instagram Stories disappear within 24 hours. But with 400 million daily active users, anything a brand can do to stand out on Instagram will help them drive traffic to their profile and connect with their followers. Here are our four top tips for how you can effectively use Instagram Stories to set yourself apart from your competitors.
Post Content That Matches Your Brand Image
Just like all of your social media posts, Instagram Stories should stay in line with your brand image. If the style of your Instagram Story doesn’t match the look of your company website, you’re missing the chance to introduce your brand to new audiences, build brand recognition, and leave a lasting first impression. Having a cohesive brand identity on your Instagram account also makes it easier for your entire team to work on your Instagram account since everything should always have a similar theme. Your brand’s signature style includes visual elements like your logo, color palette, and fonts from your website, as well as the tone you use in posts which can all be applied to your Instagram Stories.
Uploading content to Instagram is so fast and easy it can be easy to rush through in order to get fresh content up on your page, but thinking ahead and planning out the visual and creative elements of your story will help it stand out and attract more views and engagement.
Post Updates at the Right Time
Now that your content is consistent, the next step is deciding when to post! Keep in mind, no matter how amazing your post may be, it could potentially still fall flat if it’s not posted at the right time. Every audience is different so try out different days and times to see what works for you, but a general rule of thumb for B2B brands is to post on weekdays during the afternoon.
Planning out a posting schedule for your content in advance ensures that you’re posting consistently and staying top of mind with your followers. Posting regularly on Instagram Stories is an important part of building an audience and increasing your views. If you’ve just posted a new blog or case study on your website, then post a story right away to announce your new content and link directly to the post on your site. If you’re in need of new content to regularly publish, check out SAGE Website Professional Plus which includes pre-written content you can automatically push to your website and improve your SEO.
Create Dynamic Video Content
Your customer’s eyes are drawn to movement so posting video content is a great way to keep them engaged and stop them from swiping over to the next story. A good way to use video on Instagram is to give your followers a behind-the-scenes look at your business. This will allow your customers to connect with the human side of your company and see the people that make your brand so special. You can also experiment with stop motion videos, how-it’s-made features, first looks at new products, or content from the tradeshows and events you attend. Instagram Stories are a continuation of your overall marketing strategy and videos can be taken spontaneously so they appear more “real”, but you’ll still want to make sure it’s high quality and matches your overall brand identity.
Use Eye-Catching Colors and Text
Bold colors, patterns, and stickers can help make your text stories really pop! Graphs, statistics, quotes, and facts can all be spiced up with the right colors and captions. If you are looking for some relevant content you can use in an Instagram Story, check out these facts about promotional products. You can also use text and captions to highlight a new product or service your company is offering, or a promotional event that your followers can take advantage of. Whether you’re sharing tips, inspirational quotes, or want to add a creative twist to your campaign, it’s easy to overlay text and graphics onto your Instagram Story photos and videos to create a polished and professional appearance.
Now that you have these tricks in your Instagram tool belt, you’re ready to start posting engaging stories and grow your social media following! If you’re looking for more ways to connect with your customers on social media, check out this blog about how to boost engagement, and download some of these social media shareables to get started.
These are some great tips! I have worked on multiple brands and have really grown some of those from scratch. Got really good results on blog through Instagram and especially through stories.
The more stories top Instagram accounts post, the higher their median reach and impressions, according to the study.